Felt hardening machine



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l. ZUCZEK FELT HARDENING MACHINE July 7, 1942.

Filed Nov. 8, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l 'UIMM l. zUczEK 2,289,988

FELT HARDENING MACHINE July 7, 1942.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.. 8, 1940 INV NTOR. /GNACY Z ucZf/ l BY July7, 1942. ZUCZEK Y2,289,088

FELT HARDENING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1940 n :s sheets-sheet s INVENTOR.

Patented July 7, 1942 @Fi-:ICE

FELT HARDENING MACHINE Ignacy Zuczek, Nutley, N. J., assigner of fiftyper cent to Morris Wosnitzer, Newark, N. J.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines used in condensing and felting thehairs of fur bearing animals, particularly rabbits preparatory to theformation of bats from which felt hats are made, this being one of theseveral stages necessary to their construction.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine for rolling aquantity of fur, under pressure, and in opposite directions, whereby thehair strands are intermingled and matted during the passage of the furroll therethrough.

A further feature is in the provision of a machine having a travellingconveyor, movable over a rigid horizontal bed in one direction, and areciprocative pressure plate adjustable thereover, whereby a roll of furentered therebetween is condensed and compacted during its passagethrough the machine.

These and other purposes, which will later appear, are accomplished bythe novel construction, g

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, constituting a materialcomponent of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational View of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing in detail theoscillatable spring pressure device.

Figure 3 is a similar View of the conveyor adjusting means.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on line 4-4 ofFigure 6.

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial sectional View of the elements shown inFigure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the main portion of themachine, parts being shown in section.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings the numeral I5 designates apair of upright front posts connected at their upper ends and I1 asimilar pair of rear posts.

The front and rear posts are connected by lon-A gitudinal beam I9 at aconvenient height from their bottoms, over which is a flooring 20, andraised from th'e flooring are side walls 2|-22, extending to the tops ofthe posts.

Reaching forwardly from the front posts |5 are brackets having shorthorizontal slots 26, alined with openings 21 spaced therefrom by lugs28, drilled and threaded to receive screws 29, the heads of which areaccessible in the openings 21 while their ends abut bearings 36 slidablein the slots 26.

Connected below the brackets 25 are inclined aprons 32 having raisedside walls 33 carrying fixed bearing brackets 34. i

The rear posts |1 support a hopper 35 on their outer faces, closed attheir sides 36 and rear end 31, this rear wall being inclirfed towardsthe body of the machine, as at 38.

The sides 36 of the hopper are extended downwardly forming brackets 39,slotted, recessed and provided with adjusting screws 40 for slidablebearings 4| in horizontal registration with the bearings 34.

Rotatably mounted in the sidewalls 2|-22 is a horizontal shaft having apulley 46 nxed on one of its extending ends, over which is" trained abelt 41 driven by a motor 48.

On the other end of the shaft 45 is a pulley 49 driving a crossed belt5|] trained over a pulley 5| xed on a shaft 52 mounted in the bearings4| and provided with a roll 53 over which is trained an endless conveyorbelt 54 disposed on a roll 55 xed on a shaft 56 journalled in thebearings 34, the arrangement being such that the upper run of theconveyor belt is directed towards the apron 32, as best seen in Figure4.

Adjacent the driver pulley 46 is a sprocket wheel 58 to drive a chain 59trained over a larger sprocket 60 xed on a shaft 6| journalled inbearings formed in the hopper sides 36 and provided with a roll 62 overwhich is trained another endless conveyor 64 passing over a roll 65 on ashaft 66 journalled in the bearings 30.

Closely below the upper run of the conveyor belt 64 is a rigid supportplate 68 to relieve strain of weight and pressure exerted on the belt.

Fixed on the upper ends of each post |5-|1 are brackets 10 having intheir upright elements pivots 1| provided with nuts 12, the pivotsextending from sleeves 13.

Slidable in the sleeves are rods 14 screw threaded at their upper ends15 to which are fitted the internally threaded hubs of hand wheels 16,and interposed between these hubs and the adjacent ends of the sleevesare coiled compression springs 11.

Below the sleeves the rods are encircled with other similar springs 18,their lower ends abutting rod terminals 19, pivoted, as at 86, to lugs8| fixed on the upper side of a rigid plate 82 having a friction lining83 on its under surface, which is normally parallel and spaced above theconveyor` belt 64.

Also connected by the front pivot 8|] is a clevis 84 to which isattached a rod 85 having its opposite end 86 connected by a crank pin 81joining the elements 88 of a crank fixed midway the length of the shaft45.

It will now be apparent that when the machine is in motion the pressureplate 82 will be moved reciprocatively lengthwise a distance controlledby the throw of the crank 88, that the movement in either direction ishorizontal and that the distance between it and the conveyor belt isadjustable, while it is under constant pressure of the springs 18.

Preferably the throw of the crank is two to four inches; thus a roll ofmaterial X will be advanced by the combined action of the conveyor belt64 and pressure plate 82 during its rearward stroke, and condensed as itis rolled back on the belt by the retrograde stroke of the'pressureplate, the roll eventually dropping into the hopper at the rear of themachine and then delivered onto the apron 32 by the lower conveyor belt54.

Although the foregoing is descriptive of the best known embodiment ofthe machine, such description is not to be considered prohibitive ofsuch changes and modications as may come within the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed as new and sought to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a machine for condensing fur bats, the combination with a conveyorbelt constantly moving in one direction, a pressure plate movable overbats disposed on said belt, and crank actuated means for reciprocatingsaid plate; brackets on the four upper corners of said plate, rodshaving hinged connections with said brackets and extending thereabove,posts having fixed brackets at their upper ends, guides for said rodsswivelled in said xed brackets, said rods being threaded at their upperends, hand wheel nuts on the threaded por-tion of said rods, compressionsprings interposed between said nuts and rod guides, and othercompression springs interposed between said guides and said hingedconnections, said rods adjustably and resiliently suspending saidpressure plate.

IGNACY ZUCZEK.

